Russia and China veto UN move to refer Syria to international criminal court [View all]
Source: UK Guardian
Russia and China have vetoed a draft UN resolution calling for the crisis in Syria to be referred to the international criminal court – ignoring support for the measure by 65 other countries and all other members of the security council.
Vitaly Churkin, Russia's UN ambassador, had earlier dismissed the vote as a "publicity stunt" and warned that if the resolution had passed it would hinder efforts to end the country's three-year war. However, no peace negotiations are currently taking place.
Thirteen of the security council's 15 members voted for the resolution. Russia and China both cast their vetoes – which are restricted to the five permanent members.
The draft resolution took note of reports by an independent commission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate violations in Syria. In its latest report last September, the commission said there had been at least eight massacres perpetrated by Assad forces and one by rebels in the previous year and a half. A confidential list of suspected criminals is being produced by the commission and kept by the UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/22/russia-china-veto-un-draft-resolution-refer-syria-international-criminal-court
Republican senators think they have it good when they can block legislation by filibustering with just 41% of the senators. They would love to go by Security Council rules where you can 'filibuster' something you don't like with 7% (1 out of 15, if you are one of the lucky Big 5) of the vote. 13-2 might win a winning vote in most places but not in the UN.
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